This patent application relates generally to a system for mass producing helical vegetable strips, and specifically to such a system which includes hydraulic delivery means and hydraulically driven cutter means, and also relates to a hydraulic turbine used to rotate a helical cutter, as well as the cutter itself. French fried potatoes and other vegetables made from generally spiral or helical shaped strips (popularly known as "curlicue" fries) have become increasingly popular. Consumers like them because of their interesting appearance, and they are appealing to institutional food providers and restaurateurs because a given weight of french fries occupies a greater volume when they are of helical shape.
Systems for producing helical french fries are currently available in the marketplace and are the subjects of several U.S. patents. Such systems are mechanical in nature, that is, the cutter which slices the potatoes or other vegetables into helically shaped strips is mechanically driven by a motor, and the portion for delivering the potatoes to the cutter is also mechanical in nature. These mechanical delivery mechanisms involve gripping the potatoes one by one and carrying them to the cutter. Such a system is too slow, and it is expensive to build and maintain.
To make the usual, long french fries, hydraulic delivery systems are common. These systems receive water in which the potatoes or other vegetables are entrained. In the case of potatoes, for example, a high-capacity food pump delivers or throws the water-potato mixture against a checkerboard pattern of knives. Such a delivery mechanism is commonly referred to as a "gun" and finds widespread use because of its capability of producing long potato strips at high rates.